On April 13, four Ukrainian students held a symposium at MU’s Leadership Auditorium to share their perspective about Ukraine’s conflict with Russia over the last century.
In the early stages of the Russia-Ukraine war, MU sophomore Alina Rohulia hid in her basement as Russian forces rained down bombs and spread gunfire near the Russian border. MU senior Nadiia Salakh’s mother was attending a large protest in her home city of Kakhova when Russian military soldiers opened fire. MU sophomore Vladyslav (Vlad) Sazhen’s father marched in protests that led to violence instigated by Russian soldiers. MU senior Alissa Skorik fears Russia will never stop trying to influence Ukraine.
On April 13, these four students held a symposium in MU’s Leadership Auditorium to correct disinformation about the Russia-Ukraine War and inform the Columbia community about their experiences in Ukraine.
“We intend to share the history as our ancestors told us,” Sazhen said.
The event was open for all to attend, and students and Columbia locals attended to learn more about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. There were about 20-25 audience members at the presentation. At the entrance, there was a large trifold poster board giving information about Ukraine, including fun facts about its culture, famous foods, government structure and more.
Once the event started, Skorik, Sazhen, and Salakh explained that they would present facts about the tumultuous relationship between Ukraine and Russia in chronological order, starting in the 1930s. After that, they would have a Q&A section where anyone from the audience could ask the students questions. They reiterated that the goal of this symposium was to combat disinformation spread by Russian sympathists about the conflict between the two countries.
Skorik delivered a presentation about the Holodomor — a period from 1932-1933 in which the Soviet Union and Joseph Stalin targeted Ukrainian culture by releasing a man-made famine as a response to emerging Ukrainian national identity. Villages that could not meet Russia’s grain quota were blacklisted from obtaining food. Additionally, home raids were conducted and if any extra grain was found, Russian soldiers would destroy it and either send them to Russian prison, leave them with no housing or food, or physically torture them.
Next, Sazhen discussed the Revolution of Dignity, a movement protesting against President Viktor Yanukovych, who chose not to sign an agreement that would have integrated the country more closely with the European Union. The protests ran from December 2013 to February 2014 and Salzhen’s father attended some of them. In 2013, many students protested and were beaten by the Russian military.
According to Sazhen, this caused more people to protest, and he remembers his father telling him that, ‘we won’t let some creeps touch our kids.’
“When people have their own identity, they are more likely to rebel,” Skorik said.
Following the protests, President Yanukovych — a Russian loyalist — fled Ukraine.
Russia launched their full-scale attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Salakh was in the United States when the invasion commenced, and the war began on her birthday. After the Russian government tried to influence Ukraine through cultural changes, starvation and political manipulation, it launched an invasion.
“I was still at home when [the invasion] started,” Rohulia said. “I literally woke up that day from my father coming into my room screaming, ‘Get up, get dressed, they are here.’”
The four students have been staying in the United States for their safety.
“It was a very surreal experience to come from a country in a state of war to this place,” Rohulia said.
The students shared the presentations to combat false information about the war. According to Sazhen, disinformation has been spread in past events held at MU.
On December 6, 2022, author Nicholas Davies was invited to speak at MU’s Memorial Union. According to the Columbia Tribune, several Ukrainian students attended the presentation, including Sazhen, and were outraged, labeling it as Russian propaganda.
According to Sazhen, Davies questioned the veracity of several events that have been confirmed by independent organizations.
“I specifically mentioned the ruling of the Court of Netherlands as to which Russia is responsible for the destruction of the MH17 flight plane,” Sazhen wrote in an email after the symposium. “He said it was questionable, which is ridiculous.”
Before the Russia-Ukraine war, Russian forces invaded the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, although Davies showed a video claiming that conflict was a civil war and not an invasion.
“When somebody says something that is not true, speak up,” Salakh urged the audience.
Despite a century of attacks against Ukraine, the students have not lost hope.
“I have zero doubt Ukrainian soldiers will liberate every part of Ukraine,” Skorik said.
Edited by Mercy Austin | maustin@themaneater.comCopy edited by Matt Guzman and Grace Knight